Anticancer Activity of L-Asparaginase Produced from Vigna Unguiculata

The present study aimed to production of purified L-asparaginase from Vignaunguiculata. Different physiological parameters, such as pH, temperature and incubation period, were optimized for growth and maximum L-asparaginase production. The optimum parameters were 37°C, 30 min and pH 8.5. Maximum L-asparaginase was 886.4U/ml with a specific activity of 1140.7 U/ml (31 fold purification with 28 %yield) were obtained at optimum conditions. The purified L-asparaginase produced from Vignaunguiculata was used for characterization and general properties. The effect of pH and temperature on L-asparaginase activity as well as stability at different pH and temperature were determined. The optimum pH 8.5 and 37ºC temperature on L-asparaginase showed 100% residual activity. Stability of pH around 8.5 and temperature 70ºC showed 90 and 78 % residual activity at 30 and 60 min respectively. The L-asparaginase showed high stability at alkaline pH (pH 8.5) when incubated for up to 60h.The molecular weight of the produced L-asparaginase was close to 68.5 kDa. Cytotoxic activity of L-asparaginase was examined in vitro using four carcinoma cell lines. L-aspargenase has higher effective in growth inhibition against HEPG2 and HCT-116 but lower against HELLA and MCF7 carcinoma cell lines. The data show that L-aspargenase has a higher cytotoxic activity against HEPG2 and HCT116, revealed higher percentage of cell death, indicating antitumor properties, and demonstrate direct effect on cancer cell proliferation of HEPG2 and HCT116. Therefore, Vignaunguiculata was considered to be a suitable source for production of L-asparaginase has higher activity and good stability. Purified L-asparaginase obtained from Vignaunguiculata could be employed in drug chemotherapy and treatment of cancer

Nonuniform weighted subsampling for digital image compression

Presents Weighted Subsampling (WS), a new nonuniform image subsampling method suitable for "region-of-interest" applications. The new method proved superior to the uniform sampling method at the region-of-interest in the image

Transcoding of MPEG compressed video

Many video services use pre-encoded video for the distribution of video programs to end users. The transmission of compressed video over channels with different capacities may require a reduction in bit rate if the transmission media has a lower capacity than the capacity required by the video bitstream, or when the communication network is congested. The process of converting a compressed video format into another compressed format is known as transcoding. This thesis addresses the specific transcoding problem of bitrate reduction of a previously compressed MPEG video. Fully decoding a compressed video then re-encoding it at a lower bit rate, as a second generation video, has two disadvantages. First, it is not an efficient solution in terms of implementation complexity, delay and cost. Second, errors are introduced in the repeated compression/decompression of MPEG video, known as multigeneration. In this research, five mechanisms contributing to the continued degradation in multigeneration of MPEG video are identified: Pixel Domain Quantization (PDQ), Pixel Domain Clipping (PDC), Compression Control Parameters Variation (CCPV), Motion Vector Re-estimation (MVR) and Error Propagation due to Motion Compensation (EPMC). The degradation caused by each mechanism is illustrated and quantified by experiments. Next, the research addresses transcoding of MPEG compressed video. Two methods to reduce the requantization errors in transcoding are proposed. The first method assumes Laplacian distributions for the original DCT coefficients. A Laplacian parameter for each coefficient is estimated at the transcoder from the quantized input DCT coefficients. These parameters are used in transcoding to improve the quality of the transcoded video. The second method, selective requantization, is based on avoiding critical ratios of the two cascaded quantizations (encoding versus transcoding) that either lead to larger transcoding errors or require a higher bit budget. The experimental results show that both methods improve the quality of the transcoded video. Moreover, the thesis addresses the problem of multi-program video transmission over heterogeneous networks and provides a joint transcoder for transcoding multiple MPEG video bitstreams simultaneously. It is shown that joint transcoding provides better picture quality than independent transcoding of each sequence at a constant bitrate. Furthermore, joint transcoding minimizes the variation in picture quality between the sequences, as well as within each sequence. Consequently, joint transcoding results in a better utilization of the channel capacity

Achieving competitive advantage through the integration of disabled architects in architectural design firms in Egypt

The 2030 strategy of sustainable development in Egypt is based on integrated goals, including Human Resource Development. Egypt has ~9,540 disabled architects, who can play an important role in achieving competitive advantage through their integration in Architectural Design Firms (ADFs). By neglecting the benefits of integrating disabled architects, ADFs encounter the risk of losing unique skills and competent personnel. This article investigates the integration of disabled architects in ADFs as an approach for achieving competitive advantage. To achieve this aim, a research methodology consisting of literature review, case studies, and survey questionnaire has been adopted, and it is designed to achieve five objectives. First, literature review is used to investigate the concepts of disabilities and competitive advantage, as well as the relation between integrating disabled architects and the achievement of competitiveness in ADFs. Second, six case studies are presented and analyzed to investigate the role and process of achieving competitive advantage in ADFs through employing disabled architects. Third, the results of a survey questionnaire are analyzed to examine the perception regarding and application of employing disabled architects as an approach for achieving competitive advantage in ADFs in Egypt. Fourth, a framework is developed to facilitate the integration of disabled architects in ADFs with the goal of achieving competitive advantage. Finally, the research findings are summarized and recommendations are put forth. The value of this research stems from the need to address the issue of lack of employment of disabled architects in ADFs and the benefits of making better use of their unique capabilities and skills toward achieving competitiveness. In addition, this research covers a controversial topic that receives scant attention in construction literature, especially in Egypt

Simultaneous biofiltration of BTEX and Hg� from a petrochemical waste stream

A biofiltration system was developed to treat benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) and Hg� vapour from a petrochemical waste stream during overhaul maintenance. The biofilter compost bed was inoculated with a microbial consortium provided by a petrochemical wastewater treatment plant. The effect of the a BTEX concentration (192.6e973.8 g/m3h) and empty bed residence time (EBRT) of 20 e100 s were studied under the conditions of steady state, transient, shock BTEX-loading, and off-restart. The findings revealed that during a biofilter start-up, an increase in the influent BTEX concentration to around 334.3 g/m3h did not notably affect the biofiltration function at an EBRT of 100 s, and the removal efficiency was higher than 98%. Further, the low EBRT of 60 s did not have adverse effects on the BTEX and Hg� biofiltration (the removal efficiency in both was >93%). For the biofiltration system, the BTEX and Hg� critical attenuation capacity were obtained as 663 gBTEX/m3h and 12.6 gHg�/m3h respectively. A maximum attenuation capacity of 774.5 gBTEX/m3h was achieved in the biofilter when the BTEX loading rate was 973.8 gBTEX/m3h. The parameters of km and rmax of the MichaeliseMenten kinetic model were obtained as 0.099 g/m3 and 0.578 g/m3min respectively. Both BTEX and mercury vapours were completely mass balanced during a continuous biofiltration test. In general, the developed treatment system exhibited a good performance in the treatment of the BTEX stream containing Hg� vapour in the off-gas of a petrochemical compan

Deglutition syncope: A manifestation of vagal hyperactivity following carotid endarterectomy

A 61-year-old man with left amaurosis fugax and bilateral >80% internal carotid artery stenoses underwent a left carotid endarterectomy. On the first postoperative day, he developed hypotension, bradycardia, and chest pain with food ingestion. He was diagnosed as having deglutition syncope and was treated with oral anticholinergics. Similar symptoms occurred when he underwent a right carotid endarterectomy. Deglutition syncope is a neurally mediated situational syncope resulting from vagus nerve over-activity. This is the first report of deglutition syncope associated with carotid endarterectomy. It is important to recognize and differentiate these symptoms from other causes of postendarterectomy hemodynamic instability

Effects of source and seasonal variations of natural organic matters on the fate and transport of CeO2 nanoparticles in the environment

Natural organic matter (NOM) affects the stability and transport of nanoparticles (NPs) in natural waters by modifying their physiochemical properties. Source location, and seasonal variations, influence their molecular, physical and electrical charge properties. To understand the variations of NOM on the mobilization of NPs, large volumes of water were collected fromthe Ohio River (OR) over winter and summer seasons and dissolved NOMs were concentrated. The chemical and structural differences of these NOMs were compared with the Suwannee River humic acid (SRHA) SRHA using 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Thermal analysis and FTIR confirmed that differences in composition, structure, and functional groups are a result of SRHA fractionation compared to wholemolecule OR-NOM. The influence of OR-NOMs on the surface charge of CeO2NPs and the effects on the transport and retention in a three-phase (deposition-rinse-re-entrainment) sand-packed columns were investigated at CeO2 NPs initial concertation of 10 ppm, pH 6.8, increasing ionic strength (3, 5, and 10 mM), retention time of 1 min, and increasing NOM concentration (1, 5, and 10 ppm). The summer OR-NOM showed higher stabilization and mobilization effect on the CeO2 than the winter NOM; while their effect was very different form the SRHA. The stabilization of NPs is attributed to both electrostatic and steric effects. The differences in the chemical structure of the complex and heterogeneous NOMs showed disparate reactivity and direct impact on CeO2-NPs stability. Using SRHA to study the effect of NOMfor drinkingwater related assessment does not sufficiently represent the natural conditions of the environment

Role of Fungal Biomass in N-Hexane Biofiltration

The biofiltration of n-hexane is studied to optimize determinants factors of hydrophobic VOC filtration efficiency. Four trickle-bed air biofilters (TBABs) were employed; two of which were supplied with nutrients buffered at a neutral pH, while another two at an acidic pH of 4 to induce and enhance fungal growth. The loading rate of n-hexane was kept constant in all TBABs at 13 g/m3/h. At each pH levels studied, the biomass of the TBABs was pre-acclimated using different ratios of n-hexane and methanol. The fungal biomass responsible for the degradation of n-hexane was then examined and quantified. Dichloran Rose Bengal Chloramphenicol agar was used for fungi quantification, and optical microscopy for classification. Effluent biomass was validated by measuring volatile suspended solids. Fungal counts resulting from n-hexane biodegradation were related to nitrate and carbon consumption. It was found that n-hexane elimination capacity closely followed biomass growth, and reached a steady-state at an optimum biomass density of roughly 3000 cfu/ml. Major shifts in fungal species were observed in all TBABs. Dominant fungal species grew slowly to become the most numerous, and were found to provide maximum elimination capacity, although TBABs pre-acclimated to higher methanol concentrations took less time to reach this steady-state. It was concluded, therefore, that steady and monitored growth of TBAB biomass is an essential factor in maximizing fungi’s ability to metabolize VOCs and that a new ecological biofiltration model may be the most effective at VOC purification